The Supreme Court declared on Monday that it is unconstitutional for the federal government to refuse to register trademarks that can be considered offensive, according to Politico. The decision could destroy legal challenges to other controversial trademarks, such as the Washington Redskins football team.

The court ruled in favor of “The Slants” front man Simon Tam, who was rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office when he wanted to trademark the band’s name, citing a law that denied trademarks that disparage individuals, institutions, beliefs or national symbols.

Tam’s case pits supporters on one side who argue they are fighting for free speech rights, and opponents who warn a Slants victory will require government approval of all kinds of hateful racial slurs, including the N-word.

When the government grants a trademark to a business owner, the owner gains the exclusive legal right to use the name on products and merchandise such as T-shirts. But some say the government approval of trademarks confers more than a commercial benefit and suggests tacit government approval of the slurs.

During oral argument before the Supreme Court on January 18, the justices hammered both sides with questions.

Justice Elena Kagan asked whether the First Amendment rule that prohibits the government from discriminating against disfavored views applies to the trademark’s ban on “bad” trademarks.

“The point is that I can say good things about something, but I can’t say bad things about something” in a trademark, she said. “And I would have thought that that was a fairly classic case of viewpoint discrimination.”

Justice Anthony Kennedy expressed skepticism at the government’s argument that trademarks are commercial speech that do not express ideas.

“We have a culture in which we have T-shirts and logos and rock bands and so forth that are expressing a point of view,” Kennedy said. “They are using the market to express views.”

Following the ruling, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) released a statement saying: “This is a major victory for the First Amendment, and establishes that the government cannot selectively grant trademarks based on its approval or disapproval of a speaker’s viewpoint.

“The Slants chose their name to reappropriate a racial slur used against their community, with the goal of deflating the word’s hurtful power. The government’s misguided effort to protect minorities from disparagement instead hurt members of that very community by hindering their right to compete in the marketplace of ideas. Fortunately, today’s opinion prevents the kind of absurd outcome that results when the government plays speech police.”

Bill O’Reilly dominated the cable news industry for nearly two decades, finishing No. 1 in all of cable news for 16 straight years. But his sudden exit resulted in a programming shakeup at Fox News Channel.

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Fox News fired O’Reilly back in April amid sexual harassment allegations and “Tucker Carlson Tonight” was shifted from 9 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET to replace “The O’Reilly Factor,” while other shows were also moved as a result. Check out the 13 most-watched programs (in reverse order) on Fox News among total viewers since the new lineup debuted on April 24.

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13. “Shepard Smith Reporting”Smith’s newscast averaged 1.5 million total viewers from April 24 through June 8 as one of Fox News Channel’s most recognizable personalities.

9. "Fox & Friends"Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt co-host the morning show that is often complimented by President Trump during early morning Twitter sessions. “Fox & Friends” has averaged 1.6 million viewers, and at least one is typically in the White House.

8. "Outnumbered"The noon ET show features four female Fox News personalities and “One Lucky Guy” discussing the day’s headlines. Harris Faulkner and Meghan McCain are regular co-hosts of the show that averaged 1.7 million viewers from April 24 through June 8.

6. “The Fox News Specialists”Eric Bolling, Katherine Timpf and Eboni K. Williams co-host the new show that replaced “The Five” in the 5 p.m. ET timeslot. “The Specialists” has averaged 1.9 million viewers per episode with a variety of guests offering voices from both sides of the political aisle.

5. “The Story”Martha MacCallum originally had the 7 p.m. ET timeslot on a temporary basis for Trump’s first 100 days in office, but her show was made permanent and rebranded as “The Story” when the network revamped its schedule. She has averaged 2 million viewers per broadcast since the change.

4. “Special Report”Bret Baier’s nightly newscast continues to be a staple of the network’s lineup, averaging 2.2 million viewers per night from April 24 through June 8 despite new programs bookending “Special Report.”

3. “The Five”Greg Gutfeld, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Dana Perino, Jesse Waters and Juan Williams were shifted from 5 p.m. ET to primetime during the network’s schedule overhaul and “The Five” continued to be a ratings success, averaging 2.4 million viewers in its new slot.

From Martha MacCallum to “The Specialists,” the network was forced to shake things up

Bill O’Reilly dominated the cable news industry for nearly two decades, finishing No. 1 in all of cable news for 16 straight years. But his sudden exit resulted in a programming shakeup at Fox News Channel.